MEEKER I On May 5, Meeker Mayor Regas Halandras read into the record at the Meeker Town Council meeting that May 5 “is a day for all the citizens of Meeker, whether or not we have children in school, to appreciate the hard work, dedication and selfless nature of our educators.
“So many of our teachers go above and beyond to educate and positively influence our children—the next generation of citizens and leaders,” he said. “Without their tireless capacity for putting children first, instructing them in many different disciplines, opening up new and unknown opportunities and guiding them through many of life’s not so gentle lessons, where would we be?
“Besides parents, teachers are the first role models that our children have in their lives and many of those same teachers remain in our children’s lives for a lifetime,” he said. “Many adults have stories to tell of teachers who positively impacted their lives.When you live in a small community such as Meeker, that interaction is even greater.
“Our children not only see their teachers during the school day, they see them at their dance recitals, plays, musical performances, sporting events and many other competitions they may be in,” Halandras said. “Our teachers in Meeker support our children in all their endeavors. Let’s take this day and honor all of our teachers for the significant and lasting contributions they make to our lives.”
Eleanor Roosevelt first persuaded Congress in 1953 to proclaim a National Teacher Day to honor our teachers.
In 1985, the National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) established National Teacher Appreciation Week as the first full week in May, and Tuesday of that week became National Teacher Day.